No major complaints over Kentucky Derby draw

Chris KormanThe Baltimore Sun

Reaction to the draw at Churchill Downs for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby was almost universally positive. None of the favorites were put in an unfavorable position. Union Rags isn't in the most perfect spot at No. 4, but if he's really going to become the horse he was projected to become he'll have to prove he can get through traffic at some point. Why not the Kentucky Derby?

With all of the horses seemingly healthy -- and you know how quickly that can change -- the focus here will be on the style of the race. Trinniberg, as I wrote in my story on the draw, is the wild card. Having never raced more than seven furlongs, his connections nevertheless feel convinced that their horse will win the race. Does such wild-eyed confidence mean they're prepared to let him dash from the gates and see how far he'll go? Top trainers such as Bob Baffert and Graham Motion deferred when asked yesterday how they thought the race might unfurl, saying that it would be up to the jockeys.

I should get a sense for how the fans and experts in Louisville are feeling about the field by later today. One horse, Daddy Long Legs, only arrived on Wednesday from Europe and will be in quarantine for two days. Another, Creative Cause, has done nothing but the walk the shedrow. Meanwhile, Dullahan and I'll Have Another stretched their legs with gusto. It's hard to tell how any of that will play with bettors.